1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a clamping cylinder for receiving and fixing a cylindrical stamping mold with a structured surface, for instance for the production of holograms, cinegrams, exelgrams for safety and reliability engineering or for decoration purposes, comprising an outer cylinder casing, which is closed by frontal covers and mounted on a shaft.
2. Background Art
It has been known to accompany the stamping process with an external supply of heat, for instance in order to enable the stamped structure to solidify or to accelerate solidification.
As opposed to this, the invention is based on the idea that considerably improved results can be obtained by the stamping mold being heated to a temperature that has been determined to be optimal.
It is an object of the invention to embody a clamping cylinder in such a way that temperature control of the stamping mold can be put into practice and that, simultaneously, the stamping mold can easily be mounted and adjusted on the clamping cylinder.
According to the invention, this object is attained by the cylinder casing being provided with a plurality of bores, which are connected with compressed-air lines that lead through the interior of the cylinder casing and are connectable to a compressed-air source, and by a cavity for a temperature control medium being provided inside the cylinder casing, with the temperature control medium circulating via inlets and outlets.
Based on the design according to the invention, it is possible to cool and to heat the clamping cylinder and, thus, the stamping mold and, in this way, to set a desired, given temperature. Controlling the supply of compressed air enables the stamping cylinder, by elastic expansion, to be fixed in any position or the position thereof to be corrected.
In keeping with another embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the compressed-air lines pass through the cavity for the temperature control medium, which helps realize a compact structure at a low cost.
The compressed air may be supplied through distributing lines, which may be formed in one of the covers that close the cylinder casing.
By advantage, the shaft is a hollow shaft, having a cavity for the supply of the temperature control medium and a cavity for the discharge thereof.
At the end of the shaft that is opposite the cover for compressed-air supply, provision is advantageously made for a two-way lead-in arrangement for the temperature control medium to be supplied and discharged.
Details of the invention will become apparent from the ensuing description of a preferred embodiment, taken in conjunction with the drawing.